Parkinson's Miracle Cures

“New Revolutionary Treatment For Parkinson's Disease 90% Success Rate. We Look Forward To Helping You Get Your Life Back. Send Money To …”

Hope alternating with despair can really do a number on you especially when you have a progressively degenerative incurable disease called Parkinson's that prevents you from controlling your own body and makes you feel miserable. Sinemet and the other medically prescribed PD drugs lessen some symptoms but don’t stop the progression or cure the disease and they may cause serious side effects. Consequently many people seek hope in alternative treatments. I understand why there is a healthy concern regarding the benefits and side effects of prescription medicines but I don’t understand the unquestioning acceptance of the benefits and safety of “natural” or health food store remedies. 

Alternative meds and supplements are

big business with total US sales of about $38 billion a year. Not as big as prescription medicine sales which are around $425 billion a year. There are major differences though. Doctor prescribed medications are subject to testing and quality control while the chemicals marketed as herbal medicines or nutritional supplements are often sold without any testing or control. Doctors study and are trained for years and are licensed. The people giving advice about supplements don’t require training or licensing and earn money from sales and yet if it is sold in a health food store it is often more trusted then prescription meds. Sinemet may have its problems but it makes life more livable for a lot of people.

An advertisement for one supplement in a very reputable magazine states “Choose Life and Grow Young. Now available for everyone from age 30 to 90 who doesn’t want to age rapidly but would rather stay young, beautiful and healthy all of the time.” It then lists about 20 physical and mental health problems it helps and even throws in reversing baldness for good measure. At last, the fountain of youth in a pill “now available to every adult for about the price of a coffee and donut a day.” 

The value of some alternative practices are accepted by traditional medicine, Tai Chi to help with balance for example. There also are some alternative supplements and therapies associated with PD. Medical sites list them with cautions such as:

“If you are considering complementary medicine, we strongly urge you to investigate the credentials and experience of anyone offering advice or product recommendations regarding such products.”

Most herbs and supplements have not been rigorously studied as safe and effective treatments for Parkinson’s disease. The FDA does not strictly regulate herbs and supplements. There is no guarantee of safety, strength or purity of supplements not monitored by the FDA.

Forget about ads that promise to cure PD in three easy steps. There is  no easy miracle cure. The best thing you can do is follow the treatment plan you worked out with your neurologist, stay as healthy as possible, be as active and engaged in life as possible, and try to maintain a positive mental outlook. Okay I had my say. There is not a medical industry conspiracy to keep the cure from you. Medical science has extended and significantly improved the quality of life. Millions of dollars are being invested in research to find a cure for Parkinson’s. May it come speedily and in our day.